Dejphon Chansiri landed Sheffield Wednesday bittersweet £4m Mike Ashley windfall | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri received £4 million in compensation from Mike Ashley after Steve Bruce's move to Newcastle United in 2019.

After Dejphon Chansiri's departure from Sheffield Wednesday, supporters have been left to reflect on one of the most chaotic ownership regimes in English football history.

Following months of financial and off-field turmoil, Chansiri's decade-long tenure at Wednesday came to an end in October when he put the club and the company through which he owned the stadium into administration.

From points deductions to transfer embargoes, late wage payments and criticism of supporters, it is fair to say Chansiri was a deeply unpopular figure at Hillsborough, but the Owls did enjoy some success during his reign, and he did make the occasional sensible decision.

Chansiri's record of managerial appointments at Wednesday was certainly mixed, with Jos Luhukay, Garry Monk, Tony Pulis and Xisco Munoz all proving to be disastrous choices, but he was also responsible for bringing in Carlos Carvalhal, Darren Moore and Danny Rohl, who all did outstanding jobs during their time in the S6 hot seat.

One manager who does not necessarily fall into either category is Steve Bruce, who had a brief spell in charge of the Owls in 2019, and his time at the club will perhaps be best remembered for the bitter public dispute between Chansiri and Mike Ashley following his controversial move to Newcastle United.

Dejphon Chansiri pocketed £4 million from Mike Ashley after Steve Bruce, Sheffield Wednesday saga

Bruce was named Wednesday manager in January 2019, but just over six months later, he resigned to take charge of Premier League side Newcastle.

In normal circumstances, the fact that Bruce resigned from his role at Hillsborough would have meant that the Magpies did not have to pay any compensation for his services, but Chansiri was always unlikely to let his manager depart without a fight.

After Bruce was unveiled at St James' Park, the Owls released a damning statement revealing that they were "disappointed" to learn from Newcastle's public announcement that Bruce and his assistants Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence had been appointed, and they warned that, while the trio had resigned, there were still "outstanding legal issues to be resolved".

It was reported that Ashley had made an offer of £3 million to Chansiri as he looked to prevent the situation from escalating, but this was rejected by the Wednesday chief, who, despite his many faults, was known to be a tough negotiator who did not like anyone taking advantage of him or his club.

As the start of the new season was just over two weeks away, Chansiri was clearly furious at losing his manager at such an inconvenient time, and as well as chasing a hefty compensation fee, the Owls also reported the Magpies to the Premier League as they believed that details of a release clause in Bruce's contract had been leaked, making it harder for them to keep hold of him.

With Chansiri in no mood to back down, it is believed that Wednesday and Newcastle eventually agreed a compensation figure of £4 million for Bruce, which represented a significant windfall for the club, as well as a moral victory for the Thai businessman.

Dejphon Chansiri will have had mixed feelings about Mike Ashley win after Steve Bruce exit

While the money received would have helped to soften the blow of Bruce's sudden exit, Chansiri and Wednesday will still have been incredibly disappointed to lose the 64-year-old.

After a poor first half of the season under Luhukay, the Owls were languishing in the bottom half of the Championship table when Bruce took over, but the former Sunderland and Aston Villa boss breathed new life into Hillsborough and had supporters dreaming of Premier League football once again.

Wednesday emerged as outside play-off contenders after going unbeaten during Bruce's first 11 games in charge, with the manager himself even admitting that the top six was the target, and while they ran out of steam towards the end of the campaign and finished in 12th place, the improved form offered genuine hope of a sustained promotion challenge the following season.

Bruce took charge of the early stages of pre-season, and after initial reports of Newcastle's interest emerged, he played down the speculation, describing it as "news to me", but that only made his eventual departure all the more frustrating for the Owls.

Chansiri may have felt particularly bruised by Bruce's actions given that he had allowed him to start work a month after his appointment due to family bereavements, and while his exact wages were unknown, it was claimed in advance of his arrival that Wednesday were willing to offer him a bumper £2 million-a-year contract to convince him to take the job.

It looked as though Bruce could be the man to lead Wednesday back to the promised land, but instead, he left after just 18 games in charge, during which he won seven, drew eight and lost only three, and supporters will always wonder what could have been if the Magpies did not come calling.

To make matters worse for the Owls, Bruce's exit marked the start of a decline in fortunes that culminated in their relegation to League One just two years later, and in that time, they had three different permanent managers in Monk, Pulis and Moore, while Lee Bullen and Neil Thompson both had lengthy interim spells.

With that in mind, the £4 million compensation fee received for Bruce will have ultimately meant little to Chansiri, but his acrimonious battle with Ashley may explain why the ex-Newcastle owner waited for Wednesday to go into administration before pursuing a deal for the club, rather than attempting to negotiate with his former adversary.